10-Year-Old Runs Record 13.1

Fastest kid in the world clocks in at 1:35:02

We can't all be boy wonders, but in the meantime, Rheinhardt Harrison is.
Mats Hagwall/Flickr

UPDATE; June 3, 2014: Ken Young of the Association of Road Racing Statisticians, the institution that awards titles and records to runners, has confirmed a new record for a half marathon run by a 10-year-old. On June 1, ARRS received information regarding 10-year-old Hunter Perez and his 1:34:53 run at the Austin Half Marathon on February 17, 2013. After being notified of the performance, ARRS deemed the course as properly certified and of record quality, giving the record of fastest half marathon time for a 10-year-old to Perez.

Young explained that because these records have only recently been inaugurated, they are still in a state of flux due to more people becoming aware that records are out there to be claimed. Superior performances may be submitted for consideration at any time.

Mozart started composing pieces at the age of five. Alexander the Great completed his studies with Aristotle by the age of 16. At the age of 10, when most of us find great success in learning cursive or winning red rover, Rheinhardt Harrison ran the world's fastest half marathon for his age.

"It was fun and hard at the same time," Rheinhardt, who has been running since age three, told the Washington Post. "I was tired, but it was fun after. They had moon bounces and they had a lot of fun stuff."

The icing on the moon bounce–shaped cake is that this was Rheinhardt's first time running any distance over 10 miles.

As an eight-year-old, Rheinhardt earned two national cross-country championship titles and records in his age group at distances near 1.2 miles. As he gets older, his races get longer. After turning 10 in February, he ran the fastest 10-mile race for his new age with a time of 1:11:24 at the Cherry Blossom 10-Mile Run. And that was the first time he had ever run 10 miles in his life.

He now officially holds the record for the half marathon with a time of 1:35:02, breaking former tot titleholder Noah Bliss’ time of 1:37:15. Bliss had received the title from the Association of Road Racing Statisticians just last month before Rheinhardt blazed through and took the honor on Saturday at the Alexandria Running Festival.

The fourth-grader, who enjoys video games, soccer, and reading like any other normal kid, does not have a normal athletic career ahead of him. This summer, he plans to show his stuff at the national championships at distances of 800 and 1,500 meters.

"Running is his passion," said Rheinhardt's father and coach, Dennis Harrison, in an interview with ABC News.